Tyson's Run

All screenings will also include the new short film "Even in Death." The 10-minute animated film was created by autistic adults through AutismOklahoma’s Invisible Layers Productions, and has won awards at film festivals in Oklahoma and Los Angeles.

Tyson's Run is a groundbreaking production for autistic representation. Lead actor Major Dodson, who plays Tyson, is autistic, and the filmmakers worked closely with him and nationally recognized autistic activism groups to ensure the story is told right. "Tyson's Run is a film I felt compelled to make," said Writer and Director Kim Bass. "We are using autism as a vehicle to explain that everyone is gifted, everyone is unique, and everyone has to be given an opportunity to flourish and be the best person that he or she can be." Bass is an Emmy®-nominated screenplay and teleplay writer best known for his work on "In Living Color," "Sister, Sister" and the Nickelodeon sitcom "Kenan & Kel."

When fifteen-year-old Tyson attends public school for the first time, his life is changed forever. While helping his father clean up after the football team, Tyson befriends champion marathon runner Aklilu. Never letting his autism hold him back, Tyson becomes determined to run his first marathon in hopes of winning his father's approval. With the help of an unlikely friend and his parents, Tyson learns that with faith in yourself and the courage to take the first step, anything is possible.